Organizational Change Management
Failed change projects are often attributable to human fears, general resistance, or bad leadership. Organizations have various stakeholders, such as those who cling to what they know. All individuals and stakeholder groups undergo certain phases of change, which have specific emotional impacts.
Change management challenges not only people’s intellect, but also their feelings. Whether premonition, shock, refusal, acceptance, worry, anger, frustration, sorrow, curiosity, or self-confidence, all emotions play a vital part in mastering change’s phases.
Change projects have a significantly increased probability of success when they actively involve various stakeholders and even demand their active participation in the process. Change management calls for a toolbox that can handle the process and integrate the various groups along the relevant timeline. The prime focus is to create awareness of and sensitivity to the need for change. Systematic and concise communication plays an important role, but informal communication also must not be neglected.
A set of provocative questions can help change managers to assess the need for action. “How can we increase our employees’ level of worry and anger?” could be a question that helps to break ground and touch on taboos. “What can we do to turn this change project into a big failure, aggravate the current situation, and block progress?” is another example.
We believe that change management has a lot to do with involving affected individuals and groups. We can provide the right leadership tools for each stakeholder group during each different phase of change. Each phase in the change program calls for distinct leadership intervention. “Even if you got a big hammer in your hand, not everything you see is necessarily a nail.”